BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: In July 2021, Australia faced a surge in youth vaping, with easy access and growing public concern highlighting the ineffectiveness of existing legislation. To drive evidence-led policy change, a coalition of government, academic, and non-government organisations launched ‘Generation Vape’, Australia's first and largest vaping research collaboration.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: Led by Cancer Council in collaboration with the University of Sydney and the Daffodil Centre and supported by Australian government agencies, Generation Vape investigates the awareness, perceptions, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours related to vape use among Australians aged 14-24 years, parents, and teachers.
Since its inception in July 2021, the project has collected data biannually through national cross-sectional surveys and annually through focus groups and interviews. The aim was to build a robust evidence base to inform policy, programs, and education initiatives and advocate to comprehensively address vaping in Australia.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Generation Vape's extensive translation activities were pivotal in achieving Australia's landmark total ban on vape sales outside of pharmacies in July 2024.
Results have been instrumental in shaping Australian vaping laws, campaigns, enforcement, cessation initiatives, and school curriculum. Findings were cited in both state and federal inquiries into vaping from numerous public health organisations and featured heavily in media reporting.
To date, Generation Vape has gathered data from >25000 young people, 16000 parents, and 2500 teachers across Australia. The findings revealed how easily youth accessed illicit nicotine vapes from both retailers and social sources due to policy loopholes that failed to include non-nicotine vapes.
CONCLUSIONS: Australia's evolving vaping regulatory landscape offers valuable lessons for the global community. Research collaborations like Generation Vape underscore the importance of cross-sector partnerships, leadership and the critical role of research and knowledge translation in shaping policy. This work is a practical blueprint for international advocates and policymakers to achieve evidence-led policy change.